Chapter 52: Fú Shā (Capturing and Killing) and Fǎn Fú Shā (Counter Capturing and Killing)

  Once an assassin, Dean has played various roles to get close to his targets and will not underestimate his peers: thieves.

  In fact, local thieves' guilds themselves would accept various assassination tasks.

  From high-ranking officials and nobles to ordinary civilians, as long as the price is right, they can all become targets of the Thieves' Guild.

  However, lone assassins and guest thieves' guilds would not oppose this - each time a mission is completed there is an objective draw, and no need to send out their own people.

  Such things, as long as your brain is normal, will be accepted by everyone.

  Of course, anyone who wants to eat alone will be hunted down by the local thieves' guild - the kind that must be eradicated.

  As the head of a thieves' guild, being ruthless is necessary, but it's rare to reach this level of audacity.

  Dien was certain that even in a remote region like Thir, if the lord of the manor invited guests to a banquet and they all ended up dead by assassination, it would be a shocking event; naturally, as the lord of the manor, Baron Thir would become the laughing stock of the nobility in the Emerald Kingdom.

  Why was he so sure that all the guests were present?

  It's because of the number of thieves exposed before - if it was just for him, who didn't have a reputation at that time, it would be impossible to mobilize four good hands.

  According to the thieves' rules of thumb, a target like him would be best handled by two people, or even one person.

  Now, however, there are four - it is clear that the thieves did this just to ensure that he was 'killed' in the fastest way possible, and then complete their other primary objectives in the chaos.

  As for who is the primary target?

  Apart from the owner of 'Snow Bear's House', Dean couldn't think of anyone else who could make these thieves go to such great lengths.

  To this, Dean was absolutely not allowed - neither the Baron of Tyr nor the owner of Snow Bear House were allowed.

  Perhaps Baron Teal has some utilitarian heart and is a bit of an opportunist, but he's still loyal and upright. More importantly, in the upcoming plan, he remains the most crucial part of his strategy.

  And as for Hak, he was already a predetermined member of the Knights, so there was no room for error.

  So both sides have already been determined.

  Moreover, those thieves apparently also listed him as one of their must-kill targets.

  Under such circumstances, Dean would naturally not allow those thieves to live - both in public and private.

  Of course, before all this, there were still some things Dean needed to take care of—

  "Xilun, Aike, tell everyone to rest in place first!"

  Dein ordered.

  "Yes, Captain!"

  The two militia captains replied in unison.

  ……

  In the late afternoon, the town of Tiel was plunged into darkness, except for the fire pit at the entrance and the torches held by the patrolling soldiers. Oil lamps were not a luxury item, but even if they could be saved, the wives and eldest daughters of those hunters would not hesitate to do so.

  So, dinner usually starts around this time.

  After dinner, it was early to sleep - after all, the night in Tieland is still quite cold, and a warm bed is the best choice for most people.

  But it is precisely because of this that the eastern district of Tylstown, where Baron Tyl resides, can be seen to be brightly lit and bustling.

  Those villagers of Thiel Town, who should have gone to bed early after dinner, wrapped in thick animal hides, stood at the entrance of Thiel Town, waiting in whispers.

  It was clear that they were all curious about the noble guest who had been invited by their lord.

  However, the crowded crowd did not block the entrance of the town.

  Under the maintenance of the patrol guards, the town of Tiel maintained a fairly spacious entrance, while the rest stood behind the guards.

  It's not just the locals of Tiel, but also those merchants from afar who have this curiosity, and they rarely squeeze into the crowd despite the cold.

  Of course, apart from those with genuine curiosity, there are also some people with ulterior motives mixed in.

  A few thieves dressed in local attire blended in with the crowd, just like locals, but the exchange of glances between them revealed their difference.

  However, there are few people who can notice such communication - of course, Dean is one of them.

  His team had arrived two kilometers outside of Tylstown an hour ago, but Dean didn't enter the town directly. Instead, he left his team alone and sneaked into the town to observe - for thieves who used poisonous crossbow arrows and daggers, Dean was not careless.

  After all, the people in his team, except for himself who had confidence to dodge that sudden attack, the rest were absolutely impossible, and those poisons, once they came into contact with fresh blood, under the premise of lacking medicine, were obviously fatal.

  As for his own subordinates whom he had handpicked, Dean couldn't bear to let them die in such a meaningless assassination.

  As for contacting Baron Teal?

  Deane was certain that once a large-scale search began, these thieves would thoroughly disappear without a trace.

  Previously, the fruitless search by Baron Till was the best proof that Dean would never take him as a newcomer and could persist for so many years under the layer-by-layer search of Baron Till. Although the role of the tax officer cannot be ignored, it also shows that they have a very hidden and hard-to-find nest.

  Moreover, given the character of Baron Teir, if he really went to contact and it really happened; however, if the other party still got nothing, it is likely that Baron Teir would feel greatly humiliated - although there would be no revenge, but it would undoubtedly become more difficult for Dean to obtain the position of Commander of the Ficharen Knights.

  Therefore, solving it by oneself is the best method.

  Deen silently observed the thieves in the crowd, their numbers and positions allowing him to clearly grasp their intentions.

  "There are six people in total, two mixed in the crowd, four near 'Snow Bear's House'... after being 'killed' by a crossbow bolt, it will inevitably cause chaos, and Hack will definitely come out to check, at which point we'll need to face an ambush by four people..."

  Deane took one last look around before slowly backing away from the crowd, then quietly left Tyltown once again to return to his subordinate's place of waiting.

  "Squad leader!"

  Two militiamen quickly walked out from downwind.

  "There are six bandits in total, two of whom will mix into the crowd at the town gate and attack me; the remaining four will be near Snow Bear's house, and as soon as the crowd becomes chaotic, they will take advantage of it to ambush Hark. As for those two bandits who will attack me, I'll take care of them myself, while you guys need to hold off these four... Silen, Chad, with your archery skills, it shouldn't be a problem!"

  Deen waved his hand at the two militia captains and other militiamen, then began to draw a simple diagram in the snow, specifically marking the approximate positions of the six bandits.

  Then Dean continued to urge, "Remember, you must be vigilant and prepare for battle - however, except for Xiren and Chad, the rest of you only need to be vigilant and do not pick up your weapons. Everything listens to my instructions!"

  Chad proved himself in previous actual combat as a young man.

  Apart from Chad, it was naturally Xilien, this young man with knightly qualities, who had the best archery skills.

  "Yes, Captain!"

  Two young people replied with serious faces.

  "Alright, let's set off! They've been waiting for a long time!"

  Dien nodded slightly, turned over and mounted his horse, shook the reins, and in the crisp "crack" sound, he galloped towards the direction of Tiel Town.

  A two-kilometer journey, with war horses replacing footsteps, even if it's just a steady advance, ten minutes is more than enough.

  Dā, dā......

  The sound of horseshoes echoed clearly into Tiel Town.

  Suddenly, the waiting crowd began to stir, and those who had waited for a long time all wanted to see clearly who the newcomer was. However, the two thieves stood still, as if their feet were rooted to the ground; after all, they had already found this best location and didn't need to move forward anymore.

  In fact, with guards present, the further forward you go, the more dangerous it is.

  After all, once a riot occurs, the crowded masses not only squeeze the guards but also squeeze them.

  The farther they were from the guards, the safer they were.

  They just knew they were thieves and not martyrs, so there was no need for a desperate last stand.

  The sound of horseshoes became increasingly clear, and even the ground showed a very slight vibration. When a cavalry unit appeared at the town gate, people's first glance noticed Dean - apart from the leading horse's posture, the uniform from the Central Knights' Regiment was exceptionally eye-catching.

  The horse was going very fast, and although it had approached the town gate, it clearly did not intend to slow down.

  It wasn't until they passed through the town gate that the horses began to slow down, and by the time the warhorses came to a complete stop, Dean and his mount had already appeared inside the town of Tyl.

  Whoosh!

  Just as Dean stopped, a crossbow bolt suddenly shot out.

  PS: Seeking support~~~~ Despondent with tears streaming down my face seeking support~~~~